Lotus birth: Keeping the baby attached to the placenta until the thing dries out and drops off. Honest. Go look for yourself.
No offense or anything, lotus-people, but even the dumbest animals know to chew through the umbilical cord after birth. The placenta, much like the first diaper and the urine-stained pregnancy test*, is not something you should keep around any longer than necessary. Also, have you smelled afterbirth? Yuck.
Where do people come up with this stuff?
*I know a few women who have kept the pregnancy tests, and one who kept the first diaper. At least three of my friends have kept the dried umbilical stump after it fell off. The pregnancy test I can kind of understand keeping, if you’re the sentimental type. Pee dries, I guess. But the other stuff? I don’t mean to embarrass anybody who does these things, but saving waste is gross. Throw it out. Nobody ever said “Man, I wish I hadn’t tossed that poopy diaper!”. I promise.
[...] A post about an, er, unusual post-partum trend. Hope this one never catches on: This Seems Kind of Dumb [...]
Um, yeah, I like my babies washed before they’re handed to me. I also flush my poo immediately. Waste is waste.
I worked in healthcare before becoming Mommy full-time, so this is hardly a matter of lack of experience. I’ve witnessed a lot of bizarre (oh, please ask me sometime), smelly, yucky, bloody things without ever batting an eyelash. This is a matter of practicality, not immaturity. If you think it’s a nifty-cool idea to tote around a useless and ugly lump of tissue along with your precious bundle for a week after birth, be my guest. I’ll not judge your intentions, but I’ll still think you’re a little nutty.
I’m thinking from the “Ooooo – yuckie – gross” attitude that perhaps you’re not long out of your first diaper yourself
I understand you’re not understanding Lotus Birth but have you actually had any experience of it? Do you know anyone who has had a Lotus Birth?
Many animals also have offspring that can do stuff when there born – what’s your point? Human babies can do little but swim and eat. In fact, chimp populations do not chew through the umbilical cord and leave the infant attached to the placenta.
I guess you think that newborn babies are gross and icky, too with all that slime and stuff?